From left to right: Julieta Mónica Morales, general secretary of the Mexican Workers’ Union League; Imelda Jiménez, Los Mineros union secretary for political affairs; Abelina Ramírez, general secretary of National Democratic Independent Union of Farm Workers (SINDJA); Rosario Moreno, general secretary of Independent National Union of Workers in Industries and Services (SNITIS). Credit: Solidarity Center/Ulises Vidal

The Solidarity Center and our allies in Mexico work to strengthen the organizing and bargaining capacity of unions and grassroots organizations and to empower workers, especially women, to stand up for their rights at work, at home and in their communities.

One of the biggest obstacles to freedom of association for workers in Mexico is the prevalence of “employer protection contracts,” which prevent creation of truly representative unions. Protection contracts, which comprise nearly all union contracts, are negotiated without the knowledge and/or consent of workers and are often in place in a factory before workers are hired.

Despite the obstacles, a handful of independent grassroots worker organizations has emerged. The Solidarity Center provides training and support for domestic workers, who formed the country’s first domestic worker union and gained unprecedented legal rights in Mexico’s constitution.